Lucasfilm Ltd. Tash and Zak Arranda are from the mind of John Whitman. Uncle Hoole is a KJA character, originally from
'The Illustrated Star Wars Universe.' I am not making ANY money off this and no infringement is intended.
Spoilers: Star Wars Galaxy of Fear Books #1-6. The SW:GOF series are books intended for kids (probably ages age 7-11). I became familiar with them after sharing the SW galaxy with younger family members. These books can be considered the "Goosebumps books of the GFFA.
Background: The Galaxy of Fear series takes place about 8 months after
SW:ANH. In every book there are *classic* SW
characters like: Han, Leia, Luke, and Chewie, Vader, Wedge, Lando,
Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt, etc.. However, there has
been no mention of Yoda, so here it goes! Oh yeah, one last note, each
GOF story has some 'scary' stuff in it (scary if
you're like, 7 years old.) I have left out the 'scary' stuff, and kept
it SAS (short & sweet). Update: It has recently come to my attention
that Yoda was included in a SW: GOF book. However it came out in late '98,
when I was sick and no longer babysitting the little girl for which I wrote
this story. Although there are similarities between the GOF and my
story, mine was written before, and so any similarities are coincidental.
Dedicated to my favorite 7 year old SW fan, Sean. Your love of
Yoda inspired me to write this :) I would also like to thank
Jobi-Wan for her good suggestions and wonderful job of editing.
Distribute as you wish, with disclaimer intact, but please contact me
before posting it on another web page. OK? I
welcome any, and all comments to me at: swbriatharen@yahoo.com :~)
I have a Star Wars website dedicated to Bria Tharen at: http://fly.to/brias and am looking for anyone who has Bria fanfiction and/or fan art. Anyone who has some is welcome to submit it to my site! If you visit, please sign my guestbook! ;)
Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear #6.5
The Dagobah Encounter
by Bria
January 1998
Tash Arranda stared out the cockpit of her Uncle Hoole's ship, 'Another Chance.' 'Another Chance,' what a good name for their new ship because that is what it signifies thought Tash. Their last ship, 'The Shroud', had crashed on the planet Kiva while they where trying to discover the secret behind the Empire's Project Starscream. Tash, her brother Zak, and Uncle Hoole had barely managed to escape with their lives.
To Tash, the starlines meant comfort, something in the galaxy she could understand. Something uncomplicated, unlike her life. Tash's 13 year old life was confusing, and often uncertain. She and twelve year old Zak had been orphaned after the Empire's destruction of their home planet, Alderaan. Now they live with their mysterious uncle Hoole.
Mammon Hoole was a member of the rare humanoid species Shi'ido. Although Shi'ido looked human, they were shape shifters. Shi'ido could instantly shift in to any species, from wookies to womp rats. Hoole, by trade, was a lone anthropologist, though he had once worked as an Imperial scientist. That was before he had discovered how evil the Galactic Empire was. He had escaped the Empire and lived on the run ever since. Now that Project Starscream had been destroyed, he could go on about his work as an anthropologist.
Uncle Hoole was taking Tash and Zak to the planet Klatooine to study the native wildlife. They would be arriving in 0700 hours. Hopefully here they would find the necessary safe haven to protect them from the Empire.
Tash stared out in to hyperspace and thought about what kind of mess they might find on Klatooine. Although not looking for trouble, the three of them, along with the droid DV-9, had found it on every planet they had visited. But now DV was gone, retired at the Galactic Research Facility on Koaan. Tash had to admit she sort of missed the pesky droid.
Tash got up and went to her room. The she logged onto the HoloNet. She had not been on it a lot lately after finding out Forceflow, her Net friend who had told her of the Jedi, was an Imperial leading her to a trap.
Recently, on the planet Nespis VIII, Tash had learned that she was Force-sensitive. The Force, she knew, didn't run in her family and she wondered if Zak was force-sensitive. Instinctively, she knew if he was, he would discover it on his own and in his own time. Tash also knew she might never learn anything else about the Jedi and the Force because they were illegal and all but gone. She had only met three force sensitives: Luke Skywalker, the Jedi ghost Aidan Bok, and Darth Vader. Tash could not learn of the Force from these three. Luke had only a few days of training and was an active member of the Rebellion. The Jedi ghost had passed on and become one with the Force. And lastly, Darth Vader was of the Dark Side. He used the Force for evil.
'Stop moping,' Tash scolded herself. She entered a search and typed
'Klatooine.' The HoloNet was fast and results came
instantly. Tash was about to read one, when she was thrown up
against her chair. 'Another Chance' started to vibrate as if it were being
smashed in to something.
Tash jumped up and raced out of her cabin. She found Zak also running
towards the cockpit. "Uncle Hoole, what has
happened?" Tash asked.
Uncle Hoole was desperately working the controls. "Some kind of malfunction. We've been shoved out of hyperspace and in to an asteroid!." he replied.
Tash looked out the cockpit. A blue/green swampy planet was rushing towards them. "We're going to crash," Tash screamed. 'Another Chance' plowed in to the planet. Tash's last thought before the blackness consumed her was that she might be reunited with her parents, sooner than she had thought....
***********************************************
Tash awoke with a pounding headache. She had scrapes and cuts all over her body. Tash looked around and found 'Another Chance' to be remarkably intact. Nothing that would be difficult to fix. She got up gingerly and grabbed the med-kit.
Tash moved over to Uncle Hoole and Zak. They were breathing, but
unconscious. "Zak, Uncle Hoole, wake up." Tash said.
They did not stir. Their injuries were worse than hers. She got
the supplies out of the med-kit and then dressed their wounds.
Tash repeated the procedure on herself. She then left the starship
to look for help.
"HELP!" Tash shouted. "Is anybody out there? Somebody? Anybody?"
"Shout must you? Deaf I am not." said a voice from behind her.
Tash turned around quickly and saw a short green being of about 3 feet. "What...who are you? Where am I?" Tash asked.
"Dagobah. Yoda I am. No more need you know," the green being replied.
"Can you help me and my family? We crashed here and some how survived." Tash said to Yoda.
"Helped you land did I. Was not your destiny to die." Yoda answered.
"How could have you helped us survive? I do not understand." Tash questioned.
"The Force helped me. Fine they will be. Come now. Help YOU I will," Yoda replied as he turned to go to his little hut.
"You know of the Force?" Tash asked, surprised as she followed Yoda. "Can you tell me more about it?"
"For many hundreds of years, Jedi have I taught. But I cannot teach you, not now."
"Why not?" Tash asked confused. She wanted to be a Jedi more than anything in the galaxy.
"Dark time it is. To teach you would be dangerous to you. To teach you would have you fall victim to Vader. Belong with your family you do, not with Yoda.
"I am so confused. Vader didn't sense the Force in me, even though I could in him. How could I fall victim to Vader? Tash asked, perplexed.
"Untrained is the Force in you. That is why he felt it not." To develop your skills would leave you open to him," explained Yoda.
"I see. But will I ever be a Jedi?" Tash asked Yoda, hopefully.
"Difficult to say. Always in motion is the future. But worry not, fire of the Jedi never be extinguished. Until end of time Jedi exist. Always, the Force finds a way." said Yoda.
The twosome finally arrived at Yoda's hut. Tash had to stoop low to fit inside. Yoda picked up his gimmer stick and began to chew on it. "Help me fix rootleaf stew for friends." Yoda asked simply. Suddenly, Yoda crumbled and fell to the ground in pain." Tash rushed to help him and suddenly heard a weak voice. "Master Yoda, please help." pleaded the voice before vanishing.
"Are you all right?" Tash asked Yoda as she helped him to his feet.
"Tremor in the Force." he replied. "Another planet gone."
"Like Alderaan?" Tash asked, horrified.
"No. Gone emotionally. Over for them it is," Yoda answered softly.
Tash hung her head in sorrow and began to help Yoda with the stew. They finished the stew and headed towards the starship. As they neared it, Tash saw that Zak and Uncle Hoole were beginning to awake. She gave them each a bowl of the rootleaf stew and turned to introduce Yoda, but he had disappeared. She heard a voice, Yoda's voice, in her head. "Tell them not."
Tash unconsciously nodded and tells Zak and Uncle Hoole she found an abandoned hut that must have been vacated recently. As the stew warmed their bodies, they sifted through the repair kit for tools. Then they began to work on 'Another Chance'. Tash took the bowls and told her them she didn't know why, but she must return them.
Tash saw them nod absently and return to their work. When she reached Yoda's hut she knocked, and then enterd. "Why can't I tell them?" she asked.
Yoda looked deep in to her eyes, and replied, "Empire wants Jedi. Think I am dead. That way it must be."
Tash smiled. "Thank you for saving our lives, and for giving me hope." she says, sniffling.
Yoda smiled and nodded. "Remember, anger, aggression, and fear,the Dark Side are they. Fear Lord Vader not. Light are you. Light never fears the dark."
Tash hugged the old Jedi and went back to her family. Together they fixed 'Another Chance'. Before Tash knew it, Dagobah was just a small dot in space. She smiled and her heart was light. The Force was with her. A thought came to her. 'The Jedi will exist forever.' After all, she had the word of a Jedi Knight...make that a Master!
THE END